This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, offers analysis, commentary, and reportage about the $4.9 billion project to build the Barclays Center arena and 16 high-rise buildings at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland Group bought a 70% stake in 15 towers. New York State still calls it Atlantic Yards. Contact: AtlanticYardsReport[at]hotmail.com

Friday, August 29, 2008

This week AYR will look back at the 8/23/06 hearing on the Atlantic Yards Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), drawing on the official transcript.

He may not have been quite as folksy as State Senator Carl Kruger, but Council Member Lew Fidler gave him a run for his money.

COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS FIDLER: For those of you who are probably about to boo me, I want to offer you my sympathy, but not my support. You know, I remember when I had to get to get rid of my -- my old Buick, you know, it's a trusty old familiar car. You know, I had it for, you know, longer than I probably should have. And I felt really bad as they drove it off to the junkyard. But you know what, I knew that driving into the future with my beautiful, new union-built car was a whole lot better.

I want to be associated with bringing jobs to Brooklyn; I want to be associated with bringing union jobs to Brooklyn; I want to be associated with bringing housing to Brooklyn...

(Audience participation.)

COUNCILMAN FIDLER: -- I want to be associated with bringing affordable housing to Brooklyn. Yes, some people I know it's unfortunate that your ox is going to be [gored] but you know what, the greater good of this borough, the greater good of this City, the greater good of the people looking for homes; the greater good of people looking for jobs, that's what this project serves and that's why I'm here to support it.